THE CHILDREN'S HANDFULS

One instructive detail in the record of the seven years of plenty in Egypt in the days of Joseph is that the fields brought forth corn "by handfuls". For such enormous quantities of grain as were reaped at that time the scripture-writer might well have used some such expression as 'waggon-loads' or 'barnfuls'! The corn was as "sand of the sea", yet it was all gathered by the hands of the reapers and the gleaners. The lesson for us is that we must apply ourselves each one diligently to gathering up the blessings that are so freely given. Actually the produce of those years was taken from the lands around the cities and stored in the cities themselves so that the food was immediately available when and where needed. All was under the hand of Joseph, to whom everyone had to go to meet their needs. He was a type of Christ Jesus our Lord through whom alone our spiritual needs are met.

In the well-known story of Ruth in the fields of Bethlehem we read that, in addition to what was dropped by chance, some ears of barley out of the handfuls being cut by the reapers were allowed to fall especially for her to glean. In one day's gleaning she gathered and beat out a whole ephah of barleycorns. In our reckoning this would more than fill six gallon containers - enough and to spare for herself and Naomi. That amount of manna in the wilderness would be enough for ten persons for a day. For Ruth, however, it was a greater favour still when she came to know the wealthy man Boaz, also a type of Christ. She became acquainted with him, accepted by him and associated with him. She belonged to him by right of redemption just as the Christian belongs to the Lord Jesus.

In the days of the tabernacle in the wilderness the priests were "consecrated", a word meaning 'having the hand full'. They offered to God with their hands that which looked forward to the perfections of Jesus. Before this they had to be bathed with water, sprinkled with blood and anointed with oil. As believers on the Lord Jesus we serve God as priests who have been cleansed, set apart by the blood of Jesus and who worship by the Holy Spirit. You will remember that the boy Samuel was serving in the simple way of opening the doors of the house of Jehovah as it was in his day. Are you finding useful services to render to the Lord?

J.C.Evershed